A Wonderful Four Days

Camping up in the Blue mountains was utterly beautiful. We arrived about 3pm. It took us about three quarters of an hour to set up camp. Jublilee camp site number four is one that has four steep steps down to the actual site from the car or truck you came in. We really took too much stuff but it was sure fun.
I'd never helped put up moms tent before, it was as funny as it is sturdy once it's up. We took up cut, processed wood from Mr. Duane Wood. Walking through the nearly empty camps we found ten beautifully cut Tamarack logs split perfectly. So, we loaded them up in two trips and walked them back to our site. Nothing crackles like pitchy Tamarack as it slowly burns... With the found Tamarack wood and our wood we hauled up there we had perfect fires morning and evening everyday.
I froze the first night and didn't sleep much. Leo is a bed-hog I tell you. He was warm and I froze. Believe me the second night and there after I got in first and let him snuggle in. In the morning he had his shirt on, but didn't need it very long.
A few chuckles along the way, such as the only pan we had was a frying pan which upset my mom a bit. She really didn't want to cook with one pan on her little gas stove. We ended up wrapping the bottom of the frying pan to cook over the fire and even on my little BBQ-er too. Roasting hot dogs, roasted marshmallows, chili and corn bread, mush (oatmeal) for breakfast, or eggs and bacon and toast, and fresh salad and fruit. We had snack/energy bars for lunches which were great!
The hike around the lake was beautiful, just breath taking. I made it once, mom kept saying it's just a mile. Naw, huh uh, no way, it was, according to the sign in place, 2.6 miles. I was tired and sore. My dog (Dachshund) Leo made it around each of three days with my mom. Only difference between the two of them was that Leo was still rareing to go after each hike.
We saw deer, chipmunks, ducks, heard the echos of elk, saw a small fish or two jump. The deer came right through our camp, four mommas and four fawns, bold as can be until Leo woofed at them!!! The trees were laden with yellow pine cones. A chipmunk was up plunking down those pine cones, some even bounced off the tent. Occasionally that chipmunk chattered at us like it was mad, too cute. Something made a feast out of Leo's dog food, so we had to bring it in with us at night. I heard a wood pecker doing it's rat-a-tat-tatting, it was lovely. But more than that the night sky and stars just filled us with awe. If the nights didn't get so cold so quickly we'd of sat and watched the sky for hours, but it got cold very quick.
In the mornings after we built a fire we watched the steam roll off the lake. The second morning I fell, there I was on all fours hurting like crazy. I think I scared my mom!! She was there in a flash. I got up without her help, but an hour later I was so sore on both knees I could barely walk. I have the scrapes that bled on my good knee to prove it, worse than that I twisted my neck and back. (Nothing stops the beauty of the scenery though.) I fell again the next morning. That will teach me to not use my cane, lol. Despite my weight loss of 42 lbs I'm a big lady at 50 years and 5'8" as compared to mom at 81 years old and a slim 5'3" and 110 lbs. I was seriously afraid that if she helped me up and we fell she'd be really hurt badly.
Well that is it for now. Sorry we got no pictures because both our cameras had bum batteries. Leslie.